Why Honeymoon in Grande Riviere
There is very little to do in Grande Riviere, which is exactly why it works. Days follow the light. You swim in the river in the morning, read on the veranda through the heat of the afternoon and wait for dark. Then, in season, a guide walks you down the beach with a red flashlight and you sit in silence while a turtle the length of a small canoe finishes her nest and drags herself back into the surf.
It is one of the most moving wildlife encounters in the Caribbean. It happens at the doorstep of your room. The village has shaped its economy around protecting the turtles through a community group, the Grande Riviere Environmental Awareness Trust, so your visit supports the people who patrol the beach. Couples who care about how their money is spent will find a lot to like here. Those who want a spa and room service will not.
When to Go
The turtle season sets the calendar. Leatherbacks nest from about March to August, with the busiest nights usually from April to June, when dozens can come ashore along the bay. From roughly June onward, hatchlings emerge from earlier nests and scramble toward the waves, often around dawn. A May or June visit can include both.
Trinidad's dry season runs January through May, so March to May brings the best mix of turtles and sunshine. June and July are wetter, but rain usually comes in heavy bursts with clear spells between. From September to December the turtles are gone, the sea can be rough and some lodges cut back their hours or close for maintenance. Avoid Carnival week if you are flying through Port of Spain, since flights and airport hotels fill up and prices spike.
Where to Stay
Lodging is small and simple. Most of it faces the beach. Mt Plaisir Estate, a 12-room hotel set in the old headquarters of a cocoa estate, is the best known. Rooms are rustic, with wooden floors and handmade furniture rather than air conditioning and televisions. Le Grande Almandier, a little farther along the bay, has around ten rooms and a restaurant on the sand. Villagers also rent rooms. A couple of other small inns operate along the main road. As a rough guide, rooms run about $120 to $250 a night for two, often with breakfast.
Book well ahead for April through June, when birders and turtle watchers fill the village. Ask before you book whether your room has a fan or air conditioning, whether meals are included and how the lodge handles turtle permits. Most can arrange a driver from the airport. Because the nearest hospital is over an hour away, bring any medicine you need and ask your hosts how they would handle an emergency.
Romantic Things to Do
Turtle watching comes first. During the March to August season, visitors on the beach at night need a permit and a licensed guide. Your lodge or the village trust arranges both. Guides decide when you can approach a nesting female. Use only red light, keep back and resist the urge to touch.
By day, wade into the Grande Riviere River where it pools behind the sand bar. The water is cool and fresh and you will often have it to yourselves. The sea in front of the village has strong surf and currents, so the river is the better place to swim. Early risers can walk into the forest with a guide to look for the pawi, or Trinidad piping guan, a critically endangered bird found nowhere else on earth.
Drive 15 minutes west to Matelot and swim in the clear pools of Shark River. On the way in or out, stop at Galera Point near Toco, where a lighthouse marks the spot where the Caribbean meets the Atlantic.
Getting There and Around
Fly into Piarco International (POS), which has nonstops from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, New York, Houston and seasonally Newark. From the airport the drive runs east to Sangre Grande, then up the Atlantic coast through Toco before turning west along the north coast. Allow two and a half to three hours, longer in rush-hour traffic.
We strongly suggest a pre-booked driver rather than a rental car. Signs are poor, the coastal road is narrow with blind corners and the State Department advises against driving after dark. Time your arrival to finish the drive in daylight, which may mean a night at an airport hotel if your flight lands late. Once in the village everything is walkable. Your lodge can arrange a driver for side trips to Matelot or Toco or for the return to the airport or the air bridge to Tobago.
Food and Drink
Most meals happen at your lodge, which is how it should be. Expect Trinidadian home cooking: stewed chicken, fresh fish, callaloo, provision such as dasheen and green fig, rice and peas and plenty of fruit picked nearby. Breakfast might bring bake and saltfish or buljol with hot cocoa made from local beans. Tell your hosts in advance about dietary needs, since there is no supermarket to fall back on.
The village has a few small shops and rum shops for a cold Carib or Stag, but no real restaurant scene. On the drive in, roadside stands near Toco and along the Atlantic coast sell coconut water, fruit and snacks. Stop for doubles or roti in Sangre Grande if you are hungry. If you see a family cooking curry by the river on a weekend, that is a river lime, one of Trinidad's favorite ways to spend a Sunday.
Honeymoon Tips
Plan for at least two nights so one rainy or quiet turtle night does not ruin the visit. Three is better in peak season. Bring a red-light headlamp, insect repellent, long sleeves for the evening beach and sandals for the river.
Cash matters here. Card machines are scarce and the nearest bank machines are back in Toco or Sangre Grande, so carry enough Trinidad and Tobago dollars for tips, guides and shop purchases. Mobile signal is patchy, which is lovely for a honeymoon but worth telling family about.
Keep valuables in your room and do not leave anything on the beach at night. Above all, follow the guides. They protect the turtles and keep you safe on a dark beach with strong surf. Pair this stay with Tobago, which is under half an hour by air from Piarco once you are back in the west.
